Social media and a case of mistaken identity: A newspaper’s response to journalistic error

Abstract

Journalists can obtain information faster than ever before and interact with a variety of sources across multiple platforms from Facebook to Twitter without leaving their desk. The pressure to get stories online as soon as possible is not without its drawbacks, however. Incorrect information and photographs can be published even when not properly verified and, although these mistakes can be rectified quickly once identified, the credibility of a news organisation is at risk. Our research was prompted by the chance capture of a photograph published in a daily newspaper that mistakenly identified a New Zealand-born Israeli soldier who was shot dead during a firefight in Gaza in 2014 as an American actor. This presented an opportunity to investigate and understand the challenges journalists face in sourcing information in the digital age. Our research takes a two-pronged approach. First, we establish what went wrong in the newsroom that led to this case of mistaken identity drawing public criticism and ridicule, and second, we analyse the editor’s apology to highlight the news organisation’s efforts to restore its image and regain the trust of its readers in the professionalism of its journalism.

Quando as Redes Sociais Digitais São Fontes Jornalísticas — Uma Abordagem a Códigos Deontológicos

“…In the latter, mainstream media accepted as verified the name of a student unrelated to the crime, as pointed out on Reddit, leading to the student's family receiving threatening phone calls. The reproduction of images not only impacts the personality rights of those involved, as seen in cases like the broadcast of a video from DSN depicting an alleged sexual assault on a bus in Portugal (Martins, 2019) or the use of an actor's photograph as that of a dead soldier by a New Zealand newspaper (Smith & Sissons, 2019). There is also the possibility that journalists, even unintentionally, may contribute to terrorists' agendas or provide useful information to perpetrators -for instance, revealing the position of police officers during an attack -should not be ruled out as a potential consequence (Rauchfleisch et al, 2017).…”

Penggunaan Media Sosial Dalam Penyebaran Narasi Hak Asasi Manusia Di Indonesia

“…Di sisi lain, gerakan sosial yang digerakkan oleh masyarakat sipil, aktivis, dan mahasiswa dapat menggunakan media sosial untuk bertukar informasi. Gerakan bunga matahari yang menggunakan media sosial Facebook untuk menyebarkan informasi gerakan bunga matahari menunjukkan bahwa media sosial menyediakan penyebaran informasi multiarah secara online (Kampf, 2018;Smith & Sissons, 2019;Tsatsou, 2018).…”